• You Must Wait for All Zeros. You cannot say “hey, this game is over.” You cannot even think it. I will put the entirety of this loss on my friend Diane. About a half minute before the helicoptering fumble, she says she has to leave because it takes her a bit of time to move around after her recent ACL surgery. She tells me that the Texans will be undefeated in October. That I should write it down that she said that.

I tell her she shouldn’t say that. I tell her that I’m afraid. She knows my belief in jinxes. She always is trying to prove that they aren’t real. Aiiiiiiiii!

So, most people put the blame for the monumental collapse on helicoptering Sage Rosenfels. The true culprit is my gimp friend Diane. (She brought brownies and cookies to the tailgate, so I guess I should be thankful that I could consume mass quantities of homebaked goods immediately after the loss).

• You Cannot Give Nicknames Before They Are Earned. John McClain, yes, I am speaking to you. I know you mean no harm, but every time you try to nickname something Texans related, it gives me the heebies.

• Numero Ocho is Jinxed. There are some that believe that the number 8 is jinxed, and that Matt Schaub should have picked a different number. I must admit that it brings up post traumatic memories when bad things happen to a dude wearing the number 8. Note, that Sage Rosenfels also has the number 8 in his jersey number.

• The “TexansChick Blog” Curse. I am fearful that I have jinxed the Texans. I started blogging back at Chron.com right before the Pittsburgh game. Since then the Texans are 0-4 and a huge hurricane took dead aim at the city.

I know that is silly, but c’mon. The only thing worse than being a Texan fan who felt miserable about yesterday’s game is to be a Texan fan who feels miserable about the game and then has to write about it.

Please, could someone lift the demon curses off of my blog? Is their a shaman or an exorcist in the house?

• • •

Over at DGDB&D, socctty has an interesting theory behind Air Rosenfels. He believes that Rosenfels didn’t just want a Texans win, he wanted to ensure it through his efforts. That he wanted to prove he wanted to be the starter. Interesting theory.

Personally, I just feel bad for the guy. Probably Rosenfels two worst moments as a professional have come from him trying too hard: 1. The end of the Colts game; 2. Breaking his hand making a special teams tackle during the Jets game in 2006. It was an absolutely peculiar play because he was filling in for the holder, and only made the tackle because it was an extra long field goal. If he doesn’t get injured in 2006, maybe he has a better chance of being the starter in 2007. Or not.

Some people feel the need to crush Rosenfels, but the way I figure it, I’m sure nobody feels worse about it than him.

I’m having a really hard time working up the desire to even blog at this point. I just can’t bring myself to log in and post… so I’ve been commenting in other places instead.

Sigh. I’ve never been a believer in any kind of jinxes, curses, etc – and I always think pro athletes are silly for being superstitious… but right now, it seems hard to argue against.

Maybe it’s my fault. I actually went to the Bills/Oilers playoff choke game… I was a teenager at the time. I was the only one at halftime who was turning to the other Oiler fans in our group saying “remember what happened to us in Denver last year, it’s not over.”

Maybe I should burn my Bills/Oilers ticket stub. LOL.

[Notice this blog post is not really about football. But it is relevant.-Steph]

The whole thing, this feigned loyalty to an unknown entitiy, was doomed from the start when it was predicated on being the “anti-Cowboy” franchise.

Dallas sucks!! was the echoed refrain.

Well guess what? You don’t plant this undeserved hubris without reaping some extremely bitter karma.

Remember when Michael returns to the motherland in The Godfather III, and he confesses his transgressions. Do you remember what the priest said to him?

I will paraphrase because it also applies to Texan fans in many cases.

“Because of the sins you have committed, it is just that you suffer.”

Learn from your sins.

Gain some humility.

Stop talking about playoffs when you have never finished higher than last place in your division.

Stop talking about winning four straight home games because you are playing “inferior” opponents.

Stop bragging about having the best tailgating in the league. I don’t know of any points that have been awarded to a home team for great tailgating.

I could go on and on, but I’ve given you all enough to chew on.

[Feigned loyalty? As a Houstonian, I wouldn't root for a Dallas team any more than a Steeler fan should be expected to root for the Eagles. The anti-Cowboy franchise? I know lots of people who are both Cowboy and Texan fans. A Cowboy fan asking Texan fans to gain some humility? YOU are the one trolling Texans blogs with a bunch of trash. How about this. Cowboys haven't won a playoff game at least since the Texans have been in existence. Maybe it is YOUR fault for talking trash on Texans blogs. People who are secure in themselves don't feel the need to do that sort of thing. I mean, losing that Tony Romo misheld football kick game means there is some serious jinxing on your franchise. Repent.-Steph]

Well, when Sage did the “leap”, I knew I had seen it before… He did the same thing at the end of the Dallas pre-season game this year running in a QB draw for an 8yd TD. In that game, as he neared the goal line, he got airborne, took a hit and came down in the endzone. So the Flying Rosenfels act is not new… But the circumstances on Sunday demand that ball security, i.e. avoiding the turnover, were or should’ve been the #1 priority. After turnover #1, someone should have pulled him aside and emphasized this… I’m not trying to point fingers here, just trying figure out what could have been done different to change the oh-so weird, freaky ending to that game.

IIRC, Schaub had a spell last year where he had some ball security problems – fumbling, balls getting slapped out of hands, etc. Also, IIRC, he (Schaub) went through some extra work and practice aimed at taking better care of the ball. I’m not sure if Sage participated in these drills, but he should have…

One more thing I’d like to comment on… Everywhere this is being written up as “blowing a 27-10 lead” and technically that is true. However, you got the Colts driving down the field in the middle of the 4th quarter and they score their TD on a 4th and 6 from the Houston 7. So, OK, not a big deal at this point – the Colts get a garbage time TD. The score is now 27-17. The Colts try the onside kick, Anderson recovers, the Texans have great field position and possibly the Colts might not see the ball again. My point is that things were still “normal” at 27-17….. It was after this point that the freakiness began…

[I'm not sure what more the coaches can do to emphasize ball security with all the players on the team. It was the theme of training camp. At some point, a coach needs to expect that the QB you have on the field has an appreciation of basic ball security. -Steph]

Yes – Sage is a backup who wanted to prove to Gary Kubiak and Bob McNair that he deserves to be the starter. No better way to do that than to go out and lead the team to a spectacular victory over the Colts. Unfortunately, he tried to do too much and the team payed the price.

Yes – Gary should have stuck to running the ball to end the game, but what he really should have done was emphasize to Sage that protecting the football is of the utmost importance. Apparently, plastering “Protect the Ball” on the teams practice shorts during training camp wasn’t enough. Apparently, guarding the ball with your life isn’t a priority to Sage Rosenfels. Sage treats the football like a worthless sack of dirt. That’s not on Kubiak, he had to start his backup.

No – Matt Schaub is not tough. He may be an accurate passer, he may be a calm pressence in the huddle, he may even make quick reads behind a porous offensive line, but he is not tough. Brett Favre has never missed a start. Peyton Manning has never missed a start. Matt Schaub? Please, he’s missed more playing time than Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming put together.

No – This team will never make the playoffs until they get a real QB. We need to draft a Jay Cutler, Ben Roethlisberger, or an Aaron Rodgers type of playmaker. A guy with a strong, accurate arm who can take a hit and still answer the bell. By the way, those are all first round picks. So are Peyton Manning and Donovan McNabb. So are Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan, and they ain’t looking half bad themselves. Next year may have to be the year to spend that frist round pick on a new signal caller.

[I do not think that it is fair to say that Schaub is fragile--it is a popular thing to say, but it isn't like the hits that he took last year were barely hitting him. And he has taken some hard shots already this year. And the funny thing about developing a quarterback from scratch is that it isn't an exact science. Just because you take a guy in the first round, it doesn't mean that they will succeed. (Aaron Rodgers (shoulder) may not end up being the guy, and Big Ben might get totally destroyed before the season is done). Personally, I think Schaub and Rosenfels are a good enough solutions in the near term, and that draft picks need to be spent on many other places on the team.-Steph]

In all seriousness, I’m going to my first ever NFL game next week. I bought tickets for the Dolphins game right after the schedule was announced because I knew that the Texans should be able to dominate them.

So far this season, the Dolphins have beaten both teams from last year’s AFC championship game, and the Texans are 0-4. I’m really scared that my first live NFL experience will scar me for life.

[So what you are saying is you're the jinx? Who knows, maybe they were just waiting for you to show up, and then you have to purchase tickets for the rest of the season.-Steph]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! I am so glad you wrote this blog. Of course there are jinxes and curses and I am glad someone had the guts to write about it. What Diane did was a definite jinx. No question #8 jersey is a jinx, I don’t know about Sage’s though. Someone, sometime put a jinx on Houston sports teams that has to be removed. Hakeem was able to single handedly remove the jinx for 2 years and win championships. Thank you Stephanie for this article. And I don’t think you are a jinx, but could you go to Florida during next years hurricane season?

[Isn't it nice to know that other people have the same delusional sports jinx beliefs as you do? Maybe I should go someplace where they don't get hurricanes at all.-Steph]

When Houston was awarded this franchise, I was more than happy to cheer for them when they weren’t playing the Cowboys. It was Texan fan who set the tone, the rules for debate. They made it openly hostile from the start line, and so it shall be. Stephanie’s anti-Jerry Jones post last week demonstrates that she wishes to invoke Cowboy hatred as part of her pro-Texan mantra.

She calls it trolling; I call it a counterpoint to her unwarranted hate speech against an American institution.

My longstanding question remains, Texan fan. Which is greater: your love of the Texans or your hatred of the Cowboys? If you answered the latter, you’ve been drawn into the maelstrom of a second-rate sports existence.

I didn’t feel jinxed from 1977 to 1992 when the Cowboys won no Super Bowls. But guess what? Lombardi’s Trophy came home where she belongs three more times. Don’t be surprised if the Cowboys win a few more in the near future.

[Paul-Do you even know what a troll is? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet). So what if the fans of other teams do not like your team or the behavior of some in your fanbase? If Jones doesn't want criticism about stuff he said about the Texans (and goofy things he said about the Cowboys for that matter), well then, he shouldn't say stupid things. Why should I like Cowboy fans when they act like you are acting? I can't fathom going to other team blogs and making a bunch of incendiary, irrelevant comments in a pathetic, insecure, classless grab for attention. When you and the few Cowtroll mafia repeatedly put a bunch of garbage on Texans blogs, it is an embarrassment to decent Landry-style Cowboy fans who don't behave like braying donkeys. I didn't mention the Cowboys in a post about jinxes, but I certainly could have. I am certain if you believe you have got your wittle feewings hurt by what some Texan fans say, you could get your own counterpoint by starting a Cowboy blog.-Steph]

How about this: The Texans haven’t had a winning season or BEEN to a playoff game since their existence………”I know lots of people who are both Cowboy and Texan fans”..signed SYBIL.

[And neither had the Cowboys early in their existence. In the modern era, Jerry Jones would have already fired Tom Landry. Really, go among your people, if they will actually claim you.... http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/ -Steph]

I dunno, Steph, I kind of liked the comparison to Job from your last post compared to the jinx theory. At least if we go with the Job parallel, we would end up as perennial Super-Bowl contenders at some point, right? And then you (or your gimpy friend) wouldn’t have to bear the responsibility for the Texans’ woes. Have agree on the unearned nickname / song ban, though…

[The Book of Job gives me comfort about all measures of things, things more important than sport. Sports jinxes can be unjinxed. We just have to figure out the right unjinxing.-Steph]

Have you gotten rid of that silly suit you say you got from Tex? Have you donated your boots to the Salvation army? Apparently that stuff doesn’t play in Dallas anymore. Check out “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” for your future Dallas costumes and wardrobes. Get you a Latte and send Jerrah an email to tell him what Show Tunes you want to hear in that new Glitzy and Glamorous stadium. You really have to be excited with all that going for you.

Now why do you want to blame Steph for something Jerrah said. I understand why you’re upset with what Jerrah said but man up and take it up directly with Jerrah, he’s the one who insulted you. Put your boots and hat on and march in to Jerrah’s office and explain to him the history of Texas. Then tell him if he doesn’t like it to take his team, his glitz and his glamour and head west to Tinseltown. Whining on a blog is not going to do you any good.

Jinxed? You bet. Snakebit is another word for it, but it seems to be true. Jersey number 8???Are you kidding me? There’s NO WAY the team should have allowed Schaub to wear that, either from a PR standpoint, or an end the jinx standpoint. Jinx shows itself when somehow, someway, you lose…otherwise it is just a tease, letting you think you’ve overcome, then WHAM ! Schaub has taken some hard hits and kept going, like when Haynesworth drove him into the turf on his surgically repaired left shoulder. Good theory that Sage was still fuzzy after getting hit, and the Clueless coaching staff didn’t check him out, or actually coach him about no turnovers no matter what. Fundamental mistakes. How do professionals keep making such fundamental mistakes, that even high school teams don’t make? Jinxed explains it. I love your comment about comfort and things more important than sport. Imagine getting comfort and importance from THAT book, and on a Sunday…what a concept. The Texans are just entertainment to me, and when they quit entertaining, I turn away. Let’s all try that…turn away, stay home, or in the parking lot for the first half, or the whole game. Tailgate until the announcers start to notice…make a statement. If the team’s play embarasses you, try embarassing them by not showing up. Most of the fans are not in their seats until the second quarter anyway. By the way, all those already empty seats made the stadium look like Battle Red Day, and it certainly wasn’t. It was just another tease day. Those other things you spoke of are sometimes very disappointing, and I don’t need that from a sports team.

[A coach shouldn't have to tell his QB to hold on to the ball. Stay home? I had years of that before Houston had a team again. No thanks. As for late arriving crowds, I believe that a lot of people don't account for how long it takes to get in the parking lot and into your seats. Especially in the higher levels, the escalators get full, and it takes a while to walk up all the ramps. From my perspective on the field level, all the seats around me were taken. It was very loud during the game....it was a lot of fun, until it wasn't.-Steph]

DON’T CONFUSE ME WITH FACTS BLOG: The Dallas Cowboys WITHOUT a draft their first year, (How many first round choices were the Texas given?)played in a CHAMPIONSHIP game their seventh year…..BREAKING NEWS: This is the Texans’ seventh year!!!

[It was a different era, fewer teams, no modern salary cap issues, etc. Just pointing out that in the modern era, you most beloved coach would have been shown the door before any championship stuff happened (and well, in fact, eventually was unceremoniously booted by Jerrah). But for taking time out of your busy day to not really refute what I was saying ..... http://webhollis.com/albums/Funny-Forum/Want_A_Cookie.jpg -Steph].

The play by Rosenfels was all about EFFORT. Did he try to hard, yes. I thought he was gonna get that first down. –Posted by otherJerry at October 6, 2008 07:25 PMI’m not sure how to interpret this, so what the hey, I’m gonna pretend it’s a weak excuse for Sage’s performance (why not? What’re the ChonBlogs for if not a source of amusement by insult?)Think about how someone who “hates” Matt Schaub would have described it, if it had been Schaub fumbling TWICE with four minutes to go and the lead?Do you think they’d say “well, he might have cost us the game bue he did it with HONEST EFFORT!”I’m guessing “no.”What if it were David Carr – as it sometimes was? The anti-Carr folks, you think they’d have agreed with the observation that it was the effort that counted, regardless of the outcome?Here’s the deal: These guys ALL try, every week. I wasn’t a particular supporter of spending the draft choices for Schaub; I thought if they were going to get rid of Carr they should give Rosenfels a chance. But once Schaub was here it was a pointless argument.So despite my earlier reservations I wish the kid the best every time he goes out there, just as I did Carr. It’s about the TEAM, not the players, from the fan perspective – or at least, it ought to be.Bottom line: stop giving “your guy” the props that WOULDN’T be earned if it was “the other guy” in there. If Schaub had done what Sage did, the ChronBlogs’d be clogged with calls for cutting him, or worse. Some would want him in jail.I’ve already heard one sports-talk caller imply that Sage Rosenfels intentionally “threw” the game. That’s the sort of mentality you have out there, all too often. Maybe it’s because of the election; the silly season has infected every aspect of our society.No, Sage didn’t throw the game. Yes, he DID give it his best effort, just like Schaub has done, just like Carr did.It just didn’t work out very well. He lost this game singlehandedly. It’s nauseating, but it’s a fact.

John McClain, yes, I am speaking to you.Actually, John’s been infected by the YouTube bug; that and his association with some low-budget Hollywood films have tempted him to sell the “sizzle” over the “steak.” (And I say that as one who considers himself a casual friend to Mr. McClain).You forget the most outrageous one yet: “Big Bad Schaub.” Yeah, it was done as a lark, but for someone like you who believes strongly in jinxes, it has to hurt!

[Nah, I didn't forget the Schaub tribute song. I mentioned it specifically. I just didn't link to the video because the jinxing power of it is strong. Some people think Schaub is fragile. Some people think Schaub was the victim last year of some cheap shots and tried to play through them. But we know the truth--that song was about the most jinxtastic thing you could possibly do to a guy starting out in his career. Except I guess, the Madden Curse.-Steph]

SIGN THAT THE APOCALYPSE IS UPON US…Some woman “Rick Reilly wannabe” in Houston telling everyone what she thinks Jerry Jones, the greatest owner in the NFL, would do in a hypothetical situation……Good Lord.

[So you think that Jerrah would keep a coach that got no better than a 5-8-1 record for 5 years? Heck, in reality he fired Landry after getting a consultant to tell him how to do it. See the interview linked in this article: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/18/jerry-jones-interview-romessica-good-for-the-franchise/ I'm guessing 5 years of below .500 football without any success, he wouldn't even get the consultant to help him show Landry the door. In the modern era, few owners have any patience at all, not just Jerrah. -Steph]

STEPH: [It is a factual statement. However, it is also a jinx.] –Posted by: fool at October 7, 2008 02:47 PMSteph, let’s put things in perspective.The Chicago Cubs had the best regular season record in the National League this season. As such, they were privileged to have home field advantage all the way through the NL playoffs. They drew the “lowly” Dodgers as their first victims. The Dodgers, winners of the NL West, would have finished in FOURTH PLACE had they been in the Cubs’ division (2.5 games BEHIND the Astros, in fact).What was the result? The Cubs were SWEPT by the Dodgers, losing both games at home, and the one they were allowed to play in LA.As of this season, it has been ONE HUNDRED YEARS, one century, since the Cubs have won a World Series. FOUR ENTIRE GENERATIONS of Cubbies fans (including my dearest wife) have come and gone since that time.The New Orleans Saints, another “lovable loser,” went TWENTY-ONE YEARS from the time of their founding until their first playoff game, ever. The Saints have played in only EIGHT playoff games, total, winning two of them.The Racine / Chicago / St. Louis / Arizona Cardinals last won a league championship in 1947; they played for it again and lost in 1948, the year Harry Truman was elected President. Since then, they have scattered appearances in the NFL playoffs: 1974 and ’75 (lost each in the first round), 1982 (another first-round loss), and 1998 (beat the Cowboys for their only modern-era first-round win; lost to the Vikings in the Divisionals).I could talk about the Detroit Lions, but that’s even MORE depressing. Several other teams such as the Falcons, Chiefs, Seahawks, Oilers/Titans and Vikings have had their brief days in the sun only to sink back into moribundity once more.My point isn’t to make an excuse for the Texans, but to put things into perspective. The Texans, as disappointing as they are, are nowhere close to “a laughingstock,” not given the years of heartbreak that many teams have undergone.It is important to consider that no team gets “its turn” in the limelight. There are a handful of teams who’ve had great success including the Cowboys and Dolphins, e.g., and many more who’ve been “snake-bit” forever it seems. But the majority strut and preen their brief hour upon the stage and then are seen no more (at least for that decade).In the end, how realistic is it to say “the Texans either make the playoffs, or everyone’s through with them! They deserve NO support”? And why is it that teams like our neighbors, the Saints, are allowed a loyal following given their terrible history but the Texans, in their mere infancy, are not allowed loyal fans?This last is the thing I understand least of all. I understand frustration, I understand rash words typed in anger, I understand the “fire ‘em all” mentality in the heat of anger. But I don’t understand the rationale behind calling Texans fans “fools” for following a “bad” team.When a person is fickle in his other relationships, we look down upon him. The wealthy physician with a trophy wife, after having left his first marriage to a woman who suffered through the difficult early years of marriage to a med student, intern and resident, is an object of scorn. We certainly don’t clap him on the back and congratulate him for “seeing the light.”Why is loyalty a personal flaw instead of a virtue, in this case?

[There are frontrunners and bandwagoners in the world. Personally, I think it shows great character to stick with a team through thick and thin. I also think that diehard fans that stick with a team no matter what happens enjoy things more when that team eventually has success--because they are more vested in it. -Steph]

You define chronblogs as a source of amusement by insult. You must get a lot of amusement.

Sage is a Houston Texan and not “my guy.” If you actually believe all players put out the same effort, I doubt you have been around sports up close. I was dissapointed Schaub had a stomach virus but was confident we have a good back up. After watching Frerotte with the Vikings last night, I thought Rosenfels should have been worth a number 2 for that team. Who would YOU prefer as Texans back up and probably five to six game starter this year ? You know Big, Bad Schaub is going down at some point. ” At the bottom of this mine (I mean pile) lies a big, big man. Big, Bad Schaub.”

[If I were the Vikes, I would have given the Texans a 2 for Rosenfels. I don't know if either Schaub or Rosenfels can be The Man, but given most of the quarterback situations in the league in 2008, I'm find with that position on the field for the team we have. I'm more concerned with other positions. -Steph]

Here’s my theory: Bob Mcnair could care less whether or not we ever have a winning team. No matter who the general manager is, we always go with the bargain basement talent. With our first ever first overall draft pick, we take a “good boy” in David Carr. By never getting him any help, it took us five years to destroy his abilities and self-esteem, but we did it.

With our second ever first overall draft choice, we took a defensive end to complement our already somewhat competent defensive line, probably our finest attribute, while failing to address our desperate need for a running back or quarterback when the two obvious choices were, well, obvious.

We replaced the coaching staff and front office with a first time head coach, first time general manager, first time offensive coordinator, first time defensive coordinator, etc, et al, ad nauseum.

So my question is: What exactly has mcnair EVER done to show even a passing interest in winning?

[I couldn't disagree with you more on just about everything you said. I won't rehash the picking a rookie QB as the first pick of an expansion draft, but it appears as though they were trying to follow the Browns way of getting to the playoffs quickly, and well, that didn't turn out well. McNair hired experienced guys to run the team from the start, a number of guys with experience with expansion teams. That didn't turn out well, but most expansion coaches are pretty much hired to eventually get fired. At the time the Texans made the Kubiak choice, a lot of teams were looking at coaches. There weren't a ton of great choices out there, but he chose a guy that had a promising background who actually sees the Texans head coaching position as his dream job. I'm not terribly happy with the defensive coordinator, but there weren't great options at the time. Even in positions on the team where there isn't great experience, McNair has spent money on very experienced guys to help them out (such as Alex Gibbs).

As for the choice of Mario Williams, the Texans defense in 2005 was the league's worst, according to Football Outsiders. Most of the players on that defense are gone. That defense was Dunta Robinson and a whole bunch of nothing. That line was a 3-4 being converted to a 4-3 so good linemen were a necessity. You must be the only one on the planet who still thinks that Vince Young and Reggie Bush are better choices for the Texans than Mario Williams. Young has extreme maturity issues, even being on a team with a great defense, and Steve Slaton as a rookie third round pick already has statistics that far surpass Reggie Bush's stats. Though there are people critical of McNair, just about every knowledgable person agrees that he 1. is willing to spend money to help the team win (the team has the most coaches in the AFC South, for example); 2. And lets the football people make football decisions instead of being a business person making football decisions. If you hear McNair speak, he very much respects those organizations who have stability and spend money to put a winning product on the field. His choices haven't worked out so far, and with a young team your margin of error with choices is small, but I believe in that model of ownership over the long term.-Steph]

I post to provoke thought, which is sorely lacking on this blog as most posters are busy falling over themselves agreeing with you, so you should be thanking me instead of wielding your weak attempts to insult me. My analysis of some of your denizens suggests they write here because in real life they are afraid to approach ladies.

It appears to be vogue group-speak to parrot the false belief that Jerry Jones fired Tom Landry in a classless fashion.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Landry suspected that he was going to get fired so he left town as if that would stop it from happening. He forced them to chase him up to Austin and fire him. Albeit unceremoniously on a golf course, a change of direction was due. 29 years was enough. We’re talking about a football coach not a senator.

Let’s face it, he had started to lose his touch by the late 80′s.

The way to judge if it was the right decision is to look at the results post-firing. The Cowboys went 1-15 with Landry’s pre-Jerry roster. With Jimmy and Jerry at the wheel, 1-15 was turned to 7-9, to 11-5 to three Super Bowls in four years {which is the main reason I don’t understand 2-14 to 6-10 to 8-8 and last in the division as anything approaching impressive}. Most of you would fire your own grandmother if it meant having half of the success Jimmy and Jerry had during that period.

History shows that Jerry was right to fire Coach Landry and hire Jimmy Johnson. I can’t understand why this is hard for educated people to grasp, but as the great Bill Lamza might say,

“Maybe your dead cow parts are blurring your vision.”

Keep the insults coming and I’ll keep provoking thought. Maybe if I make the prompts a bit easier, the answers will get better. Let’s try this: which would give you greater pleasure, Texan fan, a Cowboy loss or a Texan victory?

If you answered the former, my feigned loyalty remark was spot-on.

No need to thank me.

[Provoke thought? Thoughts of gee, why doesn't that Cowboy fan have anything better to do that say irrelevant, bomb throwing things on a Texans blog. How does talking about "cow parts" provoke intelligent discussion? It's obvious trolling and truly it is sad and beneath most people.

You miss the point of what I was saying. That in the modern era, Landry would have been fired if he had started off 5 years of the way he did. And whether or not you think Landry needed to go, everyone agrees that Jerrah handled things in an awful manner. Even Jerrah now says that he had "no sense of the emotional attachment" to Landry and that he wish he had been more "sensitive" about handling it.

And I didn't answer your question because it was so blasted silly. I love to see the Texans win. Adore it. I've attended every home game and spend my own money on it. I spend time writing two Texans blogs and do a radio segment about the team. And in case you care, for the record, at FanHouse, I predicted the Cowboys going to the Super Bowl. At FanHouse, we write about all the teams. On this blog, it is my way to write about just about things that are Texan related. I would like to politely ask you and other Cowboy-only fans to behave like mature human beings and try to keep comments germane and not insulting here. I would prefer to ask you nicely over just deleting your posts because I feel there is the possibility that you could add value to the conversation if you chose to. But if you feel the need to talk incessantly about your team and go out of your way to turn the comments into just a trash talk forum, please go somewhere else or start your own blog. -Steph]